Method of measuring earth potentials



March 2l, 1944. H, BLAslER 2,344,672

METHOD oF MEASURINQ EARTH POTENTIALS Filed March 23, 1940 INV ENT OR.

lerger/ LoeV' ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 2l, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-TCEv llerbertliasier, Arcadia. Calif.` Application March 23, 1940, Serial No. 325,593`

\ 9 Claims. (Ci. 175-183) Gaivanic action and the iiow 'cf current betweenburiedmetalstructuresandtheearthare responsible for a 1artev portion of the corrosion -Porinstsncethspotentialb mcnoiyuclesdmdwiesduspmnsf bis,andthe mechanical treatment lead hasunmwmnnmerdmunumuolm s. function of the position o! the metal It is seen therefore. that-a large proportion ot the error in measuring the potential between any' metal structure immersed in an eleotrolyte is due to the use of en electrode o! uncertain action which is not present under normal.

conditions when the test is not being made. n

It is, therefore, an object` ot this invention to provide a method for the determination of the potentials between metal structures and an electrolyte which gives atrue measure of that pot-entiai as it normally exists.

It is a further object 01 this invention to provide a method for the determination of the potentials existing between electrodes and eleon trolytes which are unaiieted by the presence of a test electrode. l

Itis a iur-ther object oi this invention to provide a method for the determination ,oi the potentials existing between buried metal structures` and portions of the earth which introduce no galvanic action from a test electrode.

It is a further object of this invention to eliminate the chemical composition oibuiied metal structures as a iactor in the determination of potentials between those structures and the earth It a further object of this invention to pro-` vide a method for the determination ot potentiais between buried metal structures and the earth which is unaifected'by the surface conditions oi the buried structures. t

Itis a further object oi this invention to provide a method for ldetermination of potentials between buried metal structures and the earth which will give indications which are more near- 1y related to the likelihood of corrosion than has been heretofore obtained. l

It is a further object of this vide a method of measuring the potentials in 4 amerent. Ypoints er um annimtne determinamlm mais s niveaus-mien mi respect to lsldwhichhashadadiiierentmeehanicaitreat- Y ment Another soureeorerroristheoxidstion elthepipesortheiron'electromwhiehsive ecmpoimds having unpredictable action.

tion oi the direction and intensity of stray currents therethrough. 1 f

This invention possesses many other advantages andhas other objects whichmay be made more easily apparent from a consideration ot `one embodiment lnl the invention. Iior this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing' accompanyinz and forming' part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention: vbut it is to be understood. that this detailed description is not t0 be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best donned by the'appendedclaims.

invention to' pro4 yrace equipped with a conducting center.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents one mode oi practising this inventi'or'i.-

Figure 2 illustrates another application of my invention for a slightly different purpose.

Referring to the drawing, in Figure i the aplication of this invention to the determination of potential differencesbetween a point the ground and a buried metal structure vis illustrated.

A buried metallic structure lil is supplied with a conductor ll, and an electrode l2 is driven into the ground at the point where comparison with the potential of the structure iii is desired. This electrode l2 consists of an insulating outer sur- As' an rent, rather than the total quantity, information can be obtained as to the resistivity of the lsoil between the electrode and the buried metal structure. This information is useful-because, in the case oi elcctrolytic action, the damage done to underground struoturesis a function of current iiow, which in 'turn is a function ol' `the resistivity of the soil and the potentials between the soil and thev metal structure.

it is seen, thereiore, that there is provided a method for measuring potentials and resistivity f between a buried metal structure and a point in example, a glass tube i3, silver-plated on its ing y terior, or otherwise equipped with a conducting inner surface lil may be used. Or va metallic" rod coated with a suitable' dielectric may answer the purpose. It may be desirablevin some cases, to utilize a at sheet of dielectric'simply laid on vtheI surface of the ground, thesicle of thesheet not in contact-with the earth beingsupplied with a conducting surface, v

Now, if the conductor Il` be connected to the metallic inner part f ifi of the electr-:de l2, the potential of theinner part will be made equal toA that of themetal structure l0. vThe electrodek l2 is, in eiect, a condenser, the two plates of the" example, an impulse r ballistic galvanometer l5 and key il have been illustratedthe key serving to' close thecircuit, and the 'galvanometer deecting according to the, total quantity of elec-l tricity which flows. that employed in measuring capacitences witha known `potential impressed on` a condenser. It has been found in practice that the capacitance of the condenser formed by the electrode and the earth is substantially constant, `but if, for anyv reasomthere is any' doubt on this score, theiamiliar technique of impressing' a known voltage across the plates of the condenser and observing the galvanometer deflection will give a basis from which to calculate the capacity.

It is to be understood, of course, thatthere .areother methods of obtaining thcpctential dif-y ference between two plates of anv condenser, all of which may be successfullyv employed as may .be desired. For example, a condenserl might well be placed in the line leading from the pipe lll to the coating `I4 of the electrode, and the voltage thereacross utilized to calculate the potential betweenthe structure l0 andthe point ci insertion ofthe electrode |2in the earth. 'Or, the

` charging current for the condenser formed-by the earth and inner coating I4 can be made to flow through an inductance or resistance, and the'voltage across the're'sistance or inductance used to give, utimately, the potential between the V structure :I0 and the point ofins'ertion of the electrode l2. i Various expedients will readily.

suggest themselves to those skilled' in the art. It is to be'understood farther, that by various methods of determining the instantaneous cur-y 'Ihe technique is similar to' vso That being so, if the amount or figure, two electrodes 2l) and 2l, similar'to those i o described in connection With'Figure 1j,- are'shown as inserted in the earth at separated points. If the inner coatings of vthe electrodes are'connected together by a conductor; a current `will flow along the conducton'if the electrodes are inserted in the earth at two points of diierential potentials. Measurements will readily give the difference in potential between the two points at which the electrodes are inserted, and its direction'.v By suitable'manpulation, this form of apparatus caribe used to'determine the stray currents wandering through the earth, which, if

plotted on a, `map or otherwisel analyzed, will point to thev source of such currents or suggest` `measures tomitigate the damage they may cause.

I claim:

' 1.*The methodof vdetermining' the potential difference between a buried metal structure and a point in the earth which includes placing a conductor in known capacitative relation with that point, connecting the conductor to the buried :metal structure, and measuring the quantityof electricity that flows through the connection as a result of said potential difference,

2. The` method of determining the potentialdilerehc'e between ay buried metal structure and a point inthe earth' which includes'placing a conductor in capacitative relationgt'o the earth at that point but insulated therefrom, measuring the 4capacitariize between 'the conductor and the earth, and measuring the quantity ofY electricityjv which flows between the buried metal structure and the conductor upon establishment of avconnection therebetween.l f :Y

3; Themethod of determining the potential diierence between a buried metal structure and a point inthe earth whichv includes the insertion of an insulatedconductor at that point in the earth, and `the measurement of the *quantityV of the transient current that flows in one direction upon vconnection ofthe` conductor with the buried metal structure i A l, l v

.4. The methodof determining the potential `difference between two` points in the earth which includes the steps of forming a capacitanceY between aconductor andthe earth at each of said points simultaneously, and measuring the resultant direct current voltage between the conductors.-

5. The method of determining the polarity of the potential difference between a buried metal structureand a point in the earth which includes placing a conductor in capacative relation to that point, connecting the conductor to the buried metal structure, and determiningthe direction of flow of electricity through the connection as a result of said potential diierence.

6. The method of determining the polarity of the potential difference between two points in the earth which includes the steps oi' forming a capacitance between a conductor and the earth at each of said points simultaneously, and determining the polarity of the resultant voltage between the conductors.

1. The method of determining the potential diilerence due to direct current between two points,at least one of the points being in the earth and in electrical relation thereto, which includes the steps of forming a capacitance between the earth and a conductor at the other point, and

evaluating the direct current potential between the conductor and the said one point.

8. As a method of determining the potential difference between a point in the earth and a buried metal structure, the steps of forming a condenser of which one plate is formed oi the earth at said point and the other plate is con- 

